What can the Journal Sentinel offer of greatest value to the people of Wisconsin?

First, we can bring you in-depth reporting of a depth and breadth no one else can approach. This kind of reporting is essential to self-government. Nothing gets fixed in our democracy unless enough people understand the problem and care enough to demand better. It's how we improve and move forward.

We are guided by this mission of serving our democracy. More than ever before, we rely on our subscribers to do this work.

Here are just a few examples of the work subscribers have supported this year:

Dairyland in Distress: A detailed examination of the crisis facing the state's signature industry. The number of farm closings in Wisconsin continues at more than two a day — a rate higher than any time since the Great Depression. What can and should be done?

Turned Away: Did you know hospitals can and do turn away ambulances at their own discretion, even when they are the nearest, best place to treat the patient? Our investigation, which grew out of the story of a stroke patient who died after being turned away by Froedtert Hospital, found the little-known practice is prevalent around the nation.

Country doctor: More than three decades ago, a doctor followed his calling to a tiny western Wisconsin town, even though it meant little money. Now, as we told you in a feature story, he's involved in diagnosing and treating some of the rarest diseases on the planet.

Cycles of Violence: Our reporting found fewer than half of all homicides in Milwaukee end in a suspect being convicted, which helps fuel a corrosive cycle of violence. You can still track violence according to maps drawn by the federal government in the 1930s to discourage banks from investing in areas deemed "unworthy of economic investment by virtue of the races, ethnicities, and religions of their residents." We examined the problems through the stories of victims — and potential solutions, here and elsewhere.

Biologic drugs: Our investigation into a class of immune-suppressing drugs that have been on the market for two decades found the drugs were linked to reports of more than 34,000 deaths and more than 1 million adverse events, including nearly 500,000 deemed serious.

A great example of beat reporting happened with our reporting on how the chairman of the Fire and Police Commission, who is an attorney, accompanied a corporate client to an interview with Milwaukee police in a sexual assault case, creating what critics say is a major conflict of interest.

The chairman had been single-handedly delaying a vote on a full term for Police Chief Alfonso Morales. When that vote was scheduled for late Wednesday evening, we provided up-to-the-minute coverage online and followed up with stories about what the divided vote over Morales — and divisions within the community — say about the road ahead.

Our newsroom has been serving the people of Milwaukee and Wisconsin for generations, a legacy that dates back 182 years. We have always delivered trustworthy, accurate and thorough reports as if Milwaukee and Wisconsin were the center of the world — because, for our readers and us, it is.